2005 Resolutions?

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions. I think that for the most part they're not kept (at least not by me) so it really isn't worthwhile to make them. The standard trying to lose weight, trying to be more organized, doing more with one's life, and all-in-all changing one's vices are all noble causes, but why do we have to decree to change them on January 1st?

I think it's better to make a resolution, if at all, after a month or so, when your head is clearer and you're not swimming in Champagne. So I think I might make mine now.

Looking at Megan's last post, I think I need to get back into a routine. Lately, I've had a hard time waking up in the morning, haven't been exercising, and just been generally unorganized.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do this year and I've come up with a few things that I want to mull over:

1. Do I want to run Hero of the Day again this year? And if not, can the rest of the staff do it without me, or do we take a break?
2. Should I postpone my world trip? The financial factor might make me postpone the trip for several reasons:
1. The dollar sucks. This may or may not improve, but I think it may be best to wait a year.
   
2. It would be easier to rent my condo after my second year there. The first year of owning a house seems to have been more expensive than I planned. I think after readjusting my taxes, getting my huge return that I am expecting, I can be on more solid ground financially. The second year of ownership should be better for this. Plus, there are some improvements that I'd like to make before I rent it.
   
3. I'm still paying for college. One thing that I can legitimately accomplish this year would be to pay off the remaining $11,000+ on my school loans. I really think it's time that I am free of them.
3. Getting to the gym more often is important. Well it's less about getting to the gym, but more about getting back into shape. I rode my bike a miserable 1,300 miles last season*. This also adds a reason not to run Hero. It sucked up so much of my free time. The previous season I rode 3,000 and prior to that 4,000. I'd like to hit at least 3,000, but I'd also like to hit my all time high of 5,500 miles. (*A season is typically March 1st to October 31st in Washington.)
4. I think it's time to move on from my current job. It's boring. I'm no longer motivated by it. This would also be hard to do if I ran Hero and left the country!
5. It's time to have more fun. I feel like that I am not having fun anymore in anything I do. I am starting to feel like I go through each day just to get it over with. Maybe this has to do with the job being so boring.

I think that I will take a few days to mull over the Hero issue. In the end, I think that I will not be putting it together. I hope that someone will take up the slack, but I think it would be best to refocus my energy for a year.

As far as the world trip, I think I have convinced myself. I still do plan to travel to India with the family in October. (Megan, the offer still stands for you to join us!) I also want to visit at least two (more) new places this year. I've been to Moscow and St. Petersburg. I'm going to Toronto in a few weeks. I'd also like to visit Helsinki. I'd like to add one more place.

One thing that I brainstormed this past New Year's Eve, after some Russian sparkling wine, was to bring in each in a new place each year. This wasn't too bad a resolution to make while inebriated. I don't know where I'd like to ring in New Year's 2006 but I have 11 months to think about that!